Coma – the comedy

Nigel Smith is a respected British comedy writer whose new show Vent has just hit BBC Radio 4. It is based around his experiences of suffering a demyelinating brain stem lesion and falling into a serious coma.

Luckily, Smith has recovered, although still has difficulties with many everyday activities, but has managed to write a dryly comic show about the darkest of times with some wit and panache.

The show is full of reverie and comic fantasy, contrasted with incisive commentary on the banality of everyday family life when a member is less than willing to engage in conversation.

“Some rules about comas: 1) Mothers never switch off the life support. They can’t do it. Maybe it’s love? Maybe it’s for the first time since you were on the tit, they’ve got you where they want you. They finally know where you are, they know you’re warm, you’re eating regularly and you’re having those quiet nights in they always dreamed of.”

The show is archived online, so you can listen to past episodes if you’re not in the UK.

Link to audio archive of Vent.Link to Times article on Smith’s experiences.